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G. L. TURNER. 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Car Spring.

Patented Aug,`21, 1860.

A lW//l//l Inventor.

Alll/ 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. G. AL. TURNER. I

Patented Aug. 21, 1860.

Inven'tor.

Witnesses:

1 nrrrrnn sra'rns 'BATT 05H09 GREENLEAF L. TURNER, Oil NEW YORK, N. Y.

RAILROAD- CAR SPRING.

`Specification of Letters Patent No. 29,732, dated August 21, 18,160.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be itvknown that I, G. L. TURNER, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Car-Spring; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specifica-l tion, in which- Figures 1, Q, and 3, are vert-ical sections of my invention; Figs. el, 5, (S, 7 and 8, face views of the plates of the same; Figs. 9, 10, 11, sections of Figs,V 5, T, and S, taken respectively in the lines x, a, y, y, s, e. Figs. 12, 13 face views of the plates forming the bellows attachment which pertains to my invention; Fig. 14, a side sectional view of my invention applied as a butter spring.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention has for its object the combining of india-rubber or other similar elastic substance with air-chambers or bellows, either or both in such a manner that the rubber or other elastic substance is used in connection with atmospheric air so as to form a very efficient and durable spring for rail-road cars.

T 0 enable those skilled in thc art to fully understand and co'nstruct my invention I will proceed to describe it.

The simplest form of my invention is shown in Fig. 1. A, A, represent two indiarubber cylinders the inner ends of which are fitted within the flanches a, at the edges'of circular metal plates B, B, the inner sides of said plates being also provided with circular flanches b, to form a chamber c, between the two plates which iit together like an ordinary box as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The platesB, B, are perforated as shown at cx, and their outer or face slides have sunken or concave portions (Z, one surrounding' each perforation. From the center of each plate B, there projects at right angles a cylindrical rod e, and these rods tit in openings ex, which extend entirely through the center of the rubber cylinders A, A.

C, C, are metal caps which are simply circular plates provided each with a circular lianch a, at its inner side the flanch of each plate or cap being provided with a shoulder g, to form a rest or bearing for a plate D, and allow a chamber 71 between it and the inner side of the cap. The plates D, D, are perforated as shown at z', and provided with concave or sunken portions y', like the plates 3, the plates D, D, are also provided with projecting rods lo, like the rods c, of the plates B, the rods is, fitting in the outer ends of the openings 6X, of the rubber cylinders.

The operation of this spring is as follows. The ends of the rubber cylinders A, A, bear against the outer or face sides of the plates B, B, D, D, and as the cylinders A, A, are compressed under the weight of the load to which they are subjected the bearing surfaces of the plates, B, D, are virtually increased as the rubber is forced gradually into the concave portions CZ, y', the resistance of the rubber cylinders therefore gradually increases as they are compressed; and as the concave portions (l, j, of the plates B, D, lill with the rubber the air in the chambers c, z, becomes compressed and forms in connection with the rubber cylinders the car spring. The rods e, 7c, prevent the rubber cylinders A, A, being ruptured by an undue compression the former by coming in contact preventing the cylinders being compressed bcyond a certain extent.

In Fig. 2, the air chambers as employed in Fig. 1, are dispensed with and in their stead protuberances l, are used. These protuberances are formed on both sides of a central plate E, which has flanches m, m, one at each side at its periphery to receive the inner ends of the rubber cylinders A, A. Thecaps F, of this modification are simply circular plates provided with flanches n, at their inner sides and also with protuberances Z. The plate E, is provided at. each side with a central rod 0, as also are the caps F, and the plate E, and also the caps F, are perforated as shown at p. These perforations p, afford a direct communication between the external air and spaces q, formed between the plate E, and the inner sides of the cap F, and the ends of the rubber cylinders as shown clearly in Fig. 2. These spaces g, answer instead of the air chambers in Fig. 1. Then the spring as shown in Fig. 2, is subjected to pressure the rubber cylinders A, gradually resist compression in consequence of the spaces g, being gradually filled by the rubber and the air in said spaces is compressed because the vperforations p, will not admit of its ready escape. If however the compression be sufficient to cause the rubber to fill the spaces g, the air will as the rubber cylinders A, assume their normal state pass into the spaces g, through the perforations 20.

It will be seen from the above description that this latter modification admits of the air escaping from and passing into the chambers g, as the rubberl cylinders are compressed and expand under the action of the traveling load the resistance of the air being obtained. by the restriction offered to its free passage by the perforations p. In the former case the air chambers are supposed to be air tight and the air confined therein so that it cannot escape.

In Fig. 3, air chambers r, r, s, are again employed as in Fig. l, but these chambers instead of being always tight as shown in Fig. l, are provided with valves t, opening inward. By this arrangement provision is made to obviate the diiiiculty attending the escape of air from the air chambers a contingency which might occur under full compression the air escaping out between the ends of the rubber cylinder and the iianches of the plates as indicated by the dotted arrows in Fig. l. The protuberances Z, as shown in Fig. 2, are segments of spheres but other forms may be used-for instance-annular projections u, may be employed as shown in Figs. 5 and 9, or radial ones u', as shown in Figs. 7 and 10.

In Fig. 14, the invention is shown applied as a buffer spring the protuberances Z, Z, being employed on pilates G, and caps I-I, which are provided with flanches 0. In this adaptation of the invention the inner sides of the fianches e, are formed with portions l, at right angles with the faces of the plates to keep the rubber cylinders A, in proper position, the remaining portions 2, being of flaring form to allow the ends of the rubber cylinders to expand under the compression to which they may be subjected.

It is designed to have the ianches o, sufliciently long to serve as stops and prevent the rubber cylinders being unduly compressed. In lieu of the flaring portions 2,

of the flanches a, the inner sides of said ,ianches may have projections 3, as shown in Figs. 8, and l1, said projections serving as guides to keep the rubber cylinders in place and at the same time admitting of their expansion in a direction transversely with their axis.

By the above invention it will be seen that an efficient combined india-rubber and air spring is obtained the air being rendered at all times efficacious as a spring. I am aware that air springs have been combined with gum or india rubber for the same purpose herein described, but in the plan hitherto devised for the purpose no means is employed to prevent the rubber being eventually forced into the air chambers so as to expel the air therefrom the rubber consequently is soon retained in the chambers and the air excluded. This contingency cannot occur in my invention for in Fig. l the rubber cannot be forced into the air chambers c, it, the plates B, B, D, D, intervening between the ends of the rubber cylinders and chambers, and in Figs. 2, and 3, and 14:, the communication allowed between 75 the air-spaces and the external air prevents such a result.

I am aware that the whole interior surfaces of the plates have been depressed or constructed in concave form, as shown in Voses patent., June 5th, 1860, and this I disclaim.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. The employment or use of india rubber or other similar elastic material in connection with air chambers between said rubber and suitable metal plates, when said air chambers communicate directly with the external air, either by means of perforations p, or by valves t, or, when said chambers are provided with bearing plates D, to prevent the eventual filling and permanent occupation of the air chambers by the rubber under compression, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. rIhe construction of the plates with protuberances Z, or concaves Z j, upon them, and distributed over the faces 0f the plates at intervals, substantially as shown, for the purpose of graduating the strength or resistance of the springs when they are com pressed, as herein set forth.

GREENLEAF L. TURNER.

I/Vitnesses B. GIRoUsEE, J. F. BUCKLEY. 

